2016
ANNUAL REPORT
PREPARED FOR: The Michigan Public Service Commission 4300 West Saginaw Highway Lansing, MI 48917
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2
SAVINGS FOR A
STRONG MICHIGAN
4
Executive Summary
6
Satisfaction
8
Financials
10
Income Qualified
12
ENERGY STAR®
13
Home Performance
15
Residential Education
18
Residential Pilot Programs
21
Commercial & Industrial - Prescriptive & Custom
22
Commercial & Industrial - Education
23
Commercial & Industrial - Pilot
24
Marketing
27
QA/QC
28
Glossary
29
Notes
3
4
IMAGE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company (SEMCO) achieved and exceeded its savings target in program year 2016. While continuing to align and collaborate with Efficiency UNITED, SEMCO contracted with CLEAResult for the third consecutive year for delivery of its energy optimization programs. During the 2016 program year, SEMCO: §§ Emphasized focus on long-term customer solutions through continued completion of Joint Energy Efficiency Plans and installation of longterm measures §§ Tested new customer approaches through core and special pilot programs §§ Enhanced the online energy audit to provide a simpler and more user- friendly tool to improve the customer experience.
AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2016: §§ Served 9,117 customer participants §§ Income qualified: 482 §§ Residential: 8,544 §§ Commercial & Industrial: 91 §§ Issued $3,842,923 in core programs incentives §§ Income Qualified: $281,193 §§ Residential: $2,587,441 §§ Commercial and Industrial: $974,289 §§ Achieved core programs lifetime savings of 96,941,382 CCF §§ Income Qualified: 1,368,856 CCF (lifetime savings) §§ Residential: 17,811,955 CCF (lifetime savings) §§ Commercial and Industrial: 77,760,571 CCF (lifetime savings) §§ Issued $355,587 in Special Pilot incentives §§ Residential Special Pilot: $235,587 §§ Commercial and Industrial Special Pilot: $120,000 §§ Achieved Special Pilot lifetime savings of 38,880* CCF §§ Residential Special Pilot: 38,880 CCF §§ Commercial and Industrial Special Pilot: 0* CCFt §§ Fully utilized the Income Qualified budget plus invested additional carryover funds to support
our income-qualified customers beyond the core Income Qualified program. §§ Increased rapport and trust with tribal communities, leading to completion of additional energy-efficiency upgrades. §§ Adjusted market outreach strategy for contractors and retailers, leading to an additional 350 partners joining the contractor network. §§ Program Management and Market Outreach Specialists performed nearly 1,400 visits to partnering contractors and retailers to promote SEMCO’s residential rebate opportunities. §§ Completed 275 Joint Energy Efficiency Plans—198 Residential and 77 Commercial and Industrial. §§ Enhanced indoor comfort and lowered energy bills for 546 customers through the Manufactured Home Initiative. §§ Commercial and Industrial Energy Advisors used prior year and new Joint Energy Efficiency Plans (JEEPs) to develop strategic plans to achieve goals and prioritize projects. §§ Sponsored the 2016 Michigan Commercial and Industrial Energy Conferences, which were held in Harris and Battle Creek, Michigan, drawing a combined attendance of more than 400 vendors, trade allies and customers. Efficiency UNITED served as the conference host; other utility sponsors included Consumers Energy, DTE Energy and Energy Optimization members. *Achieved Special Pilot lifetime savings of 38,880 is only from Income Qualified Water Heater Special Pilot. The remaining residential special pilots are currently under evaluation. The Commercial & Industrial Special Pilot will have no associated savings.
5
SATISFACTION
6
Figure 1: Participant Satisfaction with the ENERGY STAR® Products and Residential Home Performance Programs 100%
94% 95%
92% 90%
88%
89%
87% 86%
7
Figure 2: Participant Satisfaction with the Income Qualified and C&I Programs 95% 94% 94%
97%
89%
90%
91%
93% 90%
93% 93% 93%
87% 87%
80% 80%
Percent of Respondents
60%
2015 EY 2013-14
50%
2013 2012
40%
2011
Percent of Respondents
70% 70%
60%
EY 2014-15 EY 2013-14
50%
2013 2012
40%
2011
30% 30%
20% 20%
10% 10%
0% 0% ENERGY STAR Products Program
Home Performance: Program
Note: The bars represent the percentage of program participants who gave satisfaction ratings of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale.
Residential Income Qualified Program
Commercial & Industrial Audit Program
*Please note this data is combined to represent Efficiency UNITED, SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company and Indiana Michigan Power.
FINANCIALS
8
$4,198,510
SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company issued $4,198,510 in total incentives. Of that, $281,193 was issued to income-qualified customers, 2,587,441 to residential customers and $974,289 to commercial and industrial customers.
in total incentives 6.2%
9 C&I Pilot Spend PILOT
INCENTIVE BUDGET
INCENTIVES PAID
H2AC
$63,998
$40,000
PILOT
INCENTIVE BUDGET
INCENTIVES PAID
IMPLEMENTATION
TOTAL COST
CHP
$155,000
$145,000
$120,000
$265,000
C&I Special Pilot Spend
26.2% 67.6%
Residential Pilot Spend Residential C&I Income Qualified
CLASS
INCENTIVES PAID
% OF TOTAL
Commercial & Industrial
$974,288
26.2%
Income Qualified
$281,193
6.2%
Residential
$2,587,441
67.6%
Total
$4,198,510
100%
CLASS
COST PER LIFETIME THERM
Commercial & Industrial
$0.01
Income Qualified
$0.23
Residential
$0.14
Total Savings Summary CLASS Commercial & Industrial
SAVINGS ACHIEVED
% OF TOTAL
77,760,571
80.6%
Income Qualified
1,013,471
1%
Residential
17,753,509
18.4%
Total
96,527,552
100%
Total EO Spend Summary TOTAL SPEND
CARRYOVER SPEND
2016 SPEND
2016 BUDGET
UNDERSPENT
$7,247,845
$762,587
$7,247,845
$7,529,129
$281,280
PILOT
INCENTIVE BUDGET
INCENTIVES PAID
IMPLEMENTATION
LIFETIME SAVINGS ACHIEVED
TOTAL COST
Smart Vent
$82,769
$82,769
$82,769
$648,994
$165,539
Education & Metering
$33,974
$33,974
$33,974
$266,394
$67,949
Home Energy Stimulus
$1,500
$1,500
$1,500
$11,761
$3,000
Pilot Bonus
$5,987
$5,987
$5,987
$46,942
$11,974
Residential Special Pilot Spend PILOT
INCENTIVE BUDGET
INCENTIVES PAID
IMPLEMENTATION
TOTAL COST
Smart Vent
$102,000
$69,241
$102,000
$171,241
Enhanced Tune-up
$80,000
$51,129
$80,000
$131,128
Income Qualified Water Heater
$80,000
$115,217
$80,000
$195,217
INCOME QUALIFIED
10
SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company’s Income Qualified Program provided Michigan’s most vulnerable residents with energy efficient equipment and upgrades in 2016.
SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company’s Income Qualified program provided Michigan’s most vulnerable residents with energy-efficient equipment and upgrades in 2016. The program was delivered through two implementing contractors, CLEAResult and Blue Water Community Action. CLEAResult was responsible to deliver 85 percent of the program budget while Blue Water Community Action was to make up the remaining 15 percent. CLEAResult’s two primary methods for Income Qualified Program delivery were the Manufactured Home Initiative and retrofits of large subsidized multifamily housing projects. The program team worked in partnership with several of Michigan’s Subsidized Housing Corporations and Housing Commissions who utilized the SEMCO’s Income Qualified funds in combination with their own budgets to meet the demand for income qualified customer participation and maximize the savingsto-investment ratio for these projects. In addition, the 2016 Income Qualified Program placed heavy focus on weatherizing mobile and manufactured homes. Nationally, manufactured homes are a leading source of affordable housing. Because mobile homes—especially older models—use a lot of energy and are likely to leak energy, our primary focus was directed toward duct sealing and air sealing these structures. Fortunately, sealing leaks is relatively straightforward and fairly inexpensive. This focus resulted in big dividends for the Income Qualified Energy Assistance Program in 2016. Blue Water Community Action focused specifically on delivery in conjunction with the Community Action Agencies’ weatherization programs throughout SEMCO’s service territory.
The program saw a dramatic increase in CAA participation rates over 2015.
Income Qualified Program Overview PARTICIPANTS
YTD INCENTIVE SPENT
IMPLEMENTATION
416
$229,565.40
$153,043.61
MEASURES The goal to increase the installation of long-life savings measures was continued through 2016. This was accomplished through providing duct and air sealing services and offering incentives on insulation, furnace/boiler replacement, and programmable thermostats. The program also replaced heating systems in the homes of 10 program participants whose equipment failed at the onset of winter and were at risk of living without heat during the coldest part of the year.
OUTREACH Income qualified service providers are also a source of leads for the program. Agencies we work closely with include: §§ Continuum of Care §§ Area Agency on Aging offices §§ Housing commissions §§ Veterans associations §§ Department of Human Services §§ United Way §§ Habitat for Humanity §§ Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress (UPCAP) §§ U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Housing and Urban Development
11 §§ St. Vincent DePaul §§ New Power Tour §§ Tribal communities SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company collaborated with Efficiency UNITED on the following community events: §§ Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials §§ Michigan Community Action Summer Quarterly Conference §§ National Energy and Utility Affordability Conference (NEUAC) §§ Coalition to Keep Michigan Warm §§ Building Michigan Communities Conference §§ Houghton Energy Efficiency Team Energy Day §§ Energy Education Class – Houghton Income Qualified Program Overview NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
YTD INCENTIVE SPENT
IMPLEMENTATION
TOTAL YTD SPENT
YTD LIFETIME THERMS ACHIEVED
2016 LIFETIME THERMS GOAL
% OF SAVINGS GOAL ACHIEVED
416
$229,565
$153,043
$382,609
1,013,471
1,100,000
92%
ENERGY STAR®
12 The Residential ENERGY STAR Products Program provides multiple paths for residential natural gas customers to participate. These paths include educational and sales events where customers purchase high-efficiency products and learn more about energy efficiency and mail-in rebate promotions for appliances.
program offerings, in collaboration with Efficiency UNITED utilities. They also sell low-cost energysaving products to qualifying customers. These events provide an important opportunity to interact with customers-face to-face and educate them about the benefits of energy efficiency programs and the various programs available to them.
The program offers rebates and incentives on a variety of energy saving products such as home appliances including dishwashers, clothes dryers, showerheads and faucet aerators. These energyefficient products are offered through multiple delivery methods, which require various levels of customer engagement for participation.
APPLIANCE REBATES Customers receive rebates on a variety of energy efficient appliances through our Appliance Rebate Program. The ENERGY STAR field staff work with appliance retailers throughout the state to educate customers on the rebates available and the benefits of using energy efficient products. They also provide educational material, marketing material and rebate applications to these retail locations to promote the program. While in the stores, interaction with customers and sales associates help promote the program, place marketing materials on qualifying products and answer questions regarding eligibility and appliance qualifications.
EVENTS ENERGY STAR field staff representatives attend public events and host stand-alone educational events throughout SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company’s service territory. At these events, the ENERGY STAR field staff cross promote all ENERGY STAR Program Overview NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
INCENTIVE SPENT
LIFETIME THERMS ACHIEVED
2016 LIFETIME THERMS GOAL
% OF SAVINGS GOAL ACHIEVED
1,062
$28,980
105,933
71,285
148%
HOME PERFORMANCE
13
Home Performance continued to promote previously successful programs as well as implement additional specifically targeted campaigns to generate additional program participation.
CONTRACTOR NETWORK The network of partnering contractors increased substantially from approximately 700 in 2015 to more than 950 in 2016. Contractors continued to serve as the horsepower behind SEMCO’s Home Performance Program. Compared to self-installers, contractors submitted approximately 99 percent of all applications, measures and energy savings. The greater number of network contractors coupled with direct marketing campaigns gave significant rise to some of the Home Performance measures within the SEMCO customer base. Home Performance Program Increase from 2015 INSULATION
WINDOWS
DUCT SEALING
HEATING SYSTEMS
23%
18%
34%
16%
ENERGY STAR Appliance Rebates DRYER
DISHWASHER
WASHER
TOTAL
215
280
328
823
Energy Saving Products Purchased at ENERGY STAR Events BATH AERATOR
HAND HELD SHOWER WAND
KITCHEN AERATOR
SHOWERHEAD
PIPE WRAP
SHOWER STARTS
116
324
177
177
330*
42
*Linear Feet
Compared to self-installers, contractors submitted approximately 99 percent of all applications, measures and energy savings.
14
RESIDENTIAL EDUCATION
RESIDENTIAL JEEP INSTALLATIONS Joint Energy Efficiency Plans (JEEPs) leveraged long-term relationships with customers to promote efficiency upgrades. During the complimentary service, a qualified program representative provided an assessment of the home’s appliances, envelope and mechanical systems, and installed energysaving upgrades including LEDs and high efficient aerators. The JEEP recommendations developed a collaborative action plan to improve comfort and energy efficiency.
SEMCO engaged the National Energy Foundation (NEF) in the delivery of the utility’s Residential Education program. NEF’s Think! Energy ® program consisted of three facets, the Take Action classroom presentations, Community in Action, and Teacher Workshops. In all, 3,424 students, 295 families and 149 teachers were reached with a total of 3,766 energy saving kits delivered. SEMCO collaborated with nine electric utilities to deliver 32 of the 60 classroom presentations. Those utilities included five Efficiency UNITED participating utilities as well as DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, Indiana Michigan Power and Holland Board of Public Works. To find additional information related to the Take Action program or either of the new programs introduced this year, Community in Action and Teacher Workshops, a full annual report from NEF will also be submitted.
JEEP Outreach Overview NUMBER OF COMPLETED JEEPS
NUMBER OF UPGRADES COMPLETED AFTER JEEP
198
51
Residential
15
MANUFACTURED HOME INITIATIVE
Total participation SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company program:
60 # OF SCHOOLS BY NATURAL GAS UTILITY
149 # OF TEACHERS
3,766 TOTAL KITS DISTRIBUTED
The Manufactured Home Initiative (MHI) was created in 2015 to provide non-traditional energy efficiency enhancements to customers dwelling within manufactured homes. Manufactured homes are defined as factory built, pre-fabricated housing, mobile homes, and homes within mobile hometype communities but does not include homes traditionally built entirely at the construction site. The program addresses market barriers that prevent these customers from accessing deeper energy-saving improvements. The program partnered with highly qualified contractors to implement blower door testing to confront air leakage as well as duct leakage issues. Direct install measures were also performed by the contractors, including pipe wrap, showerhead, shower start, shower start with showerhead, bath and kitchen aerators, and programmable thermostats. Home Performance Program Overview NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
INCENTIVE SPENT
LIFETIME THERMS ACHIEVED
LIFETIME THERMS GOAL
% OF SAVINGS GOAL ACHIEVED
7,427
$2,359,693
16,673,484
16,731,550
99%
PROGRAM
SCHOOLS
TEACHERS
STUDENTS
KITS
EU collaboration
8
21
526
526
Holland collaboration
4
10
230
227
Consumers collaboration
4
14
313
325
DTE collaboration
11
32
946
967
INMI collaboration
5
12
374
381
Gas only program
15
38
1,035
1,045
Community in action
5
0
0
295
Workshops
11
25
NA
NA
Unique Totals
60
149
3,424
3,766
16
17 SMART VENT PILOT The SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company Smart Vent Pilot Program intended to prove: §§ Energy savings are attributed to the installation and adoption of a smart vent system; §§ Smart vents may be an effective measure to implement in SEMCO’s incentive program; §§ Identify potential demographic and behavioral data to influence future program designs. A smart vent system gives customers the ability to create a zoned heating and cooling environment in their home without much renovation to their existing heating and cooling system. The system requires the installation of a smart thermostat that can communicate with the smart vent system. Smart vents easily replace a home’s existing registers without any rewiring or duct work because they are battery operated and fit the existing register size. Once installed, the smart vents connect to a nearby temperature sensor over Wi-Fi to regulate the temperature in the room or area by opening and closing the dampers automatically. The system can be controlled from a smartphone, giving the customer the ability to control the temperatures in their home from remote locations. The smart vent system was installed in 51 SEMCO customers’ homes through the end of 2016 and into early 2017. After the installation, pilot participants were asked to respond to a survey addressing their experience with the technology and the pilot program. Overall, customers were satisfied with their experience with the pilot program and the contractors. Customers enjoyed the greater control through the smart vent system to better regulate the temperature in their home. Some customers reported issues with the temperature sensors that caused the system to overheat or under-heat some zones. Most issues with the system stemmed from its relatively young lifespan; the smart vent provider is addressing these issues with system updates that customers will receive automatically.
The survey collected historical utility consumption data from prior to the installation of the smart vent system. This information will be assessed against 2016–2017 data and normalized for weather. It’s anticipated energy savings evaluation will be completed by the end of 2018.
EDUCATION & METERING PILOT SEMCO’s Metering Pilot Program intended to find if customers use less energy when they are able to better track and visualize their energy use. The pilot also assessed whether energy efficiency education has an impact on behavioral energy savings. Participating SEMCO customers had a gas monitor installed downstream from the utility gas meter to monitor the amount of gas used in the home. The usage was uploaded to an energy dashboard through the home’s internet connection. Customers could then review the dashboard, which showed energy usage in real time and in different historical increments. Pilot program staff entered the customer’s gas rate into the dashboard so that customers could review a financial visualization of their energy use. The dashboard could be reviewed from any device connected to the internet. This gave customers a better ability to monitor the energy use in their home while they were away. The gas monitor was installed in 22 SEMCO customers’ homes in 2016. Customers were then sent a survey addressing their experiences with the technology and the pilot program. Overall, customers were neutral in their experiences with the system. Customers found that the energy dashboard lacked intuitiveness and beneficial findings on their gas usage. EKM Metering, the gas monitor company used for the pilot, is working on a new energy dashboard that will address these issues. Some customers found the monitor to be very beneficial in finding when their usage peaked and were able to identify
what appliance was causing their gas bill costs to rise. Customers were then able to make energy efficiency upgrades to address the high gas users in the home.
investment decisions. The pilot tested this relationship by comparing customer investment in energy efficiency between customers with a HEScore and those without a HEScore.
Contractors found the meter difficult to install, since they needed to reroute the gas line and hardwire a connection to a system hub and the home’s internet for the data to be uploaded to the energy dashboard. The contractors noted that a wireless connection through the hub and internet would make the installations much simpler.
The pilot sent personalized correspondence to three populations of customers and offered a limited-time 100 percent insulation rebate bonus (“Pilot Bonus”).
Customers were sent the Department of Energy’s EnergySavers booklet that covers energy efficiency recommendations and tips for residential homes. Some customers found the information very useful and took the steps recommended in the booklet to reach higher energy savings. The survey collected historical utility consumption data from prior to installation of the energy monitoring system. This information will be assessed against 2016–2017 data and normalized for weather. It’s anticipated energy savings evaluation will be completed by the end of 2018.
Population 1. Customers who previously received a Joint Energy Efficiency Plan (JEEP) but not a HEScore. The correspondence referenced the previous assessment and the specific recommendations incorporated in the assessment, stated the typical incentives available for the recommended upgrades, and offered the Pilot Bonus. It did not mention the customer’s HEScore. Population 2: Customers who previously received an HEScore. The correspondence referenced the original HEScore, stated the specific recommendations incorporated in the HEScore, stated the typical incentives available for the recommended upgrades, and offered the Pilot Bonus. The offer also included re-scoring the house after the upgrade (at no-charge) to reflect an increased score.
HOME ENERGY STIMULUS PILOT 2015’s Technology Demonstration Pilot Program (“Tech Demo”) facilitated and promoted adoption of the Department of Energy’s Home Energy Score (HEScore) through assessing and scoring more than 500 customers in SEMCO territories. The purpose of the Home Energy Stimulus Pilot Program was to assess whether the HEScore has a demonstrable influence on energy efficiency
Population 3: Customers who previously received a JEEP but not a HEScore. The correspondence referenced the previous assessment and the recommendations incorporated in the assessment and introduced the HEScore. It referenced the typical incentives available for the recommended upgrades and offered the Pilot Bonus as well as a no-charge HEScore both before and after an efficiency upgrade.
Residential Pilot Overview NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
INCENTIVE SPENT
LIFETIME THERMS ACHIEVED
2016 LIFETIME CCF GOAL
% OF SAVINGS GOAL ACHIEVED
55
$124,231
974,092
974,097
100%
RESIDENTIAL SPECIAL PILOTS
18
19 ENHANCED TUNE-UP SPECIAL PILOT
Customers looking to make insulation upgrades and apply for the bonus were instructed to call pilot program staff to reserve the funds for their project. Once the project was completed, the customers submitted all rebate paperwork to pilot program staff to be processed. The customers were then sent a survey addressing their experience with the pilot program and the factors that led to their decision to move forward with energy efficiency upgrades. All customers responded that saving energy and increasing their home comfort led to their decision to make the insulation upgrades. Most customers responded that they would have made the upgrades within the next five years if they had not been offered the Pilot Bonus. Some customers noted that if it weren’t for the previous energy assessment’s suggestions and Pilot Bonus, they would not have made the upgrades. Of the participants, 15 SEMCO customers took advantage of the Pilot Bonus with an average rebate of $385. Customers in Population 2 (those who had received a HEScore) made the most upgrades of the three populations. These customers were nearly twice as likely to make upgrades compared those in Population 1 and Population 3 (those who received JEEP but not a HEScore). Customers noted that the suggestions provided through the HEScore were a main factor their decision to make upgrades.
SMART VENT SPECIAL PILOT The traditional Smart Vent Pilot operated from a shared budget between the Home Energy Stimulus Pilot and Education & Metering Pilot. The allocated Smart Vent Pilot budget was not enough funding to achieve statistical significance (61 projects). In response, SEMCO released previously unspent program funds, which required separate financial tracking and pilot references. SEMCO also received approval to combine its Smart Vent Pilot installation with those completed in the Michigan Gas Utilities Smart Vent Pilot. All necessary installations to achieve statistical significance were completed by January 2017. In combination with the MGU Smart Vent Pilot, SEMCO contributed 51 projects: 24 were completed through the traditional pilot and 27 through the special pilot. It’s anticipated energy savings evaluation will be completed by the end of 2018.
Product manufacturers highly encourage the regular inspection and maintenance of space heating and cooling equipment. While many HVAC-R service providers promote tune-ups as a great way to usher in the heating or cooling season, the HVAC-R industry has not mandated explicit tune-up procedures. In addition, the lack of a State-defined tune-up procedure causes immense variability with service offerings and costs, energy savings and draw into question the overall correlation with claims of prolonged equipment life. The evolution of tune-up inspection equipment has outpaced the adoption of standard tune-up inspection procedures. The Imperial iManifold (air conditioning systems) and Bacharach Insight Plus (furnaces) are leading analyzers promoting tune-up integrity with ease. Through a partnership between DTE Energy and SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company and using leading analyzer equipment, the Enhanced Tune-up Pilot was designed to: §§ Investigate energy-savings impacts resulting from new system inspection and tune-up technology §§ Identify energy savings potentials of multiple inspection procedures at various points during the tune-up process
§§ Establish new furnace and split system air conditioning tune-up procedures §§ Develop a new Enhanced Tune-up MEMD measure Key participants included representatives from: §§ Local HVAC-R contractors §§ CLEAResult’s national field training team §§ Young Supply (HVAC-R Distributor) §§ Imperial iManifold (Product Manufacturer) §§ Bacharach, Inc. (Product Manufacturer) The Enhanced Tune-up Pilot launched to a limited network of authorized contractors in May 2016. Service variability was substantially minimized through a series of mandatory lab-based and field-based training sessions hosted by CLEAResult’s national training group and technical trainers for the iManifold and Bacharach analyzers. In addition, authorized contractors received the same tool kit. Eligible residential customers were invited to participate beginning June 2016 through a series of DTE and SEMCO branded emails. At the close of 2016, 157 enhanced furnace tune-ups were completed. With a pilot goal of 300 services, the remaining furnace tune-ups will be completed in 2017. It’s anticipated energy savings evaluation will be completed by the end of 2017.
COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL - PRESCRIPTIVE & CUSTOM
20
INCOME QUALIFIED WATER HEATER SPECIAL PILOT According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) domestic water heating accounts for 17 percent of a typical Michigan single family household’s energy budget. SEMCO, in conjunction with Efficiency UNITED, offers rebates for water heaters to encourage the adoption of high efficiency options. Unfortunately, financial barriers associated with this equipment prevent widespread adoption, especially among Michigan’s lower-income segment. As a result, a large segment of the Michigan market remains largely unaware high efficiency water heater options exist. The Income Qualified Water Heater Special Pilot sought to facilitate and promote the use of high efficiency water heating technology by replacing inefficient systems within Michigan’s incomequalified population. All upgrades were performed at no cost to the homeowner.
In addition to the higher efficiency our industry trade allies have stated there are added benefits to on-demand/tankless units such as never running out of hot water, a longer lifespan than tank heaters, take up significantly less space and there’s no possibility of flooding in the event of equipment failure like you would see with a tank. Moreover, SEMCO customers and program participant Jonathan and Sarah Young stated: “Thank you so much! We are excited about this water heater. We are so happy to have it. Thank you so much. The water pressure even seems to have improved with the new heater! What a blessing! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” By providing long lived energy efficiency measures to permanently reduce energy bills and making homes more energy efficient the savings add up over time to considerable benefits aimed to make a lasting difference for program participants and their communities.
The Pilot identified typical efficiencies of existing, storage tank water heaters as 0.58 Energy Factor (EF). In total, 36 units were replaced with an ondemand/tankless unit with an average efficiency rating of 0.94 EF. Furthermore, because the ondemand/tankless units do not keep a large tank of water hot they have the added efficiency benefit of no standby heat loss. The near-double efficiency and removal of standby heat loss essentially translates to a 50 percent reduction in fuel consumption and operational costs.
COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL PRESCRIPTIVE & CUSTOM PROGRAM The SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company Commercial & Industrial Prescriptive & Custom Program provides incentives for high-efficiency equipment upgrades in non-residential facilities. The program is separated into two main parts, prescriptive and custom. The prescriptive portion offers predetermined rebates often associated with one-forone retrofits. The custom portion allows customers to take a more unique and innovative look at energy efficiency and customize it to their specific needs. As in past years, SEMCO utilized an Energy Advisor outreach model for the 2016 program year, which provided direct contact with end-use customers and trade allies. This model once again proved its success by producing many opportunities, most of which completed in 2016. The remaining applications will be considered for the 2017 Program Year. In addition, Commercial & Industrial Program participants were encouraged to work with their Energy Advisor to develop or update a Joint Energy Efficiency Plan (JEEP). These plans are designed to provide customers a starting point for long-term energy planning and establishing a strategic energy plan. MODIFIED JEEPS
NEW JEEPS
TOTAL
2016 GOAL
24
51
75
35
In 2016 the SEMCO C&I program saw an increase in large capital-intensive projects with SEMCO’s major industrial customers. These large projects
Income Qualified Water Heater Special Pilot Overview # OF PARTICIPANTS
INCENTIVE SPENT
IMPLEMENTATION
TOTAL SPENT
LIFETIME THERMS ACHIEVED
36
$115,217
$80,000
$195,217
38,880
typically require considerable engineering and outreach resources to evaluate both the preimplementation modeling and the post-installation metering to verify energy savings. In 2016, no additional customer initiatives (bonuses) were offered. Through persistent outreach efforts and, ultimately, customer participation, the Prescriptive & Custom Program exceeded its energy savings objectives. It is expected that SEMCO will continue to have a significant number of large industrial customer projects in 2017.
MARKET TRANSFORMATION The C&I program continues to facilitate a transformation in the marketplace through the integration of digital controls on HVAC equipment. This technology upgrade is becoming more affordable and accessible to almost all utility customers.
OUTREACH EFFORTS The main source of outreach is performed through one-on-one relationships developed by the C&I Energy Advisor staff. In addition, the SEMCO C&I team participated in multiple events to assist in marketing the program. These events included, but were not limited to: §§ UP Builders Show §§ Michigan C&I Energy Conferences §§ MSBO – Facilities/Operations Director Conference & Expo §§ UP State Fair §§ UP Energy Summit
C&I Prescriptive & Custom Program Overview NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
INCENTIVE SPENT
LIFETIME THERMS ACHIEVED
2016 LIFETIME THERMS GOAL
% OF SAVINGS GOAL ACHIEVED
91
$895,890
76,926,255
23,063,129
333.5%
21
22
COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL - EDUCATION §§ Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce event §§ Mechanical Plumbing & Mechanical Contractors Association’s Annual Expo §§ Michigan Energy Efficiency Contractors Association events §§ Michigan EIBC The 2016 SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company Commercial & Industrial Education program focused primarily on the continuation of previous years’ education initiatives. These initiatives included the Michigan Commercial & Industrial Energy Conference and, a Commercial Online Audit. In 2016 Michigan Interfaith Power & Light was added to the C&I education efforts.
MICHIGAN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ENERGY CONFERENCE The MCIEC was held in Battle Creek and Harris, Michigan. SEMCO collaborated with Consumers Energy, DTE Energy, Efficiency UNITED and Energy Optimization on these conferences. These sponsorships allowed the organization’s respective customers to attend the educational event at no cost. The conferences’ one-day events featured exhibitors, breakout sessions and multiple networking opportunities for participants to learn about energy use and energy efficiency. The 2016 conference in Harris coincided with an extended snowstorm. Despite the conditions, more than 100 attendees participated in the conference. The Battle Creek event had nearly 300 attendees.
Number of Participants
COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL - PILOT
BATTLE CREEK (LP)
HARRIS (UP)
292
112
COMMERCIAL ONLINE AUDIT The Commercial Online Audit offers customers a quick and simplified “audit report” based on information provided and questions answered to online software.
MICHIGAN INTERFAITH POWER & LIGHT The remaining C&I Education funds were used to start a program with Michigan Interfaith Power & Light (Michigan IPL) as a Michigan-based advocate and resource for energy efficiency. The goal was to establish Michigan IPL as a voice and resource of energy efficiency through presenting at events, leveraging its houses of worship relationship base, and establishing a website and social media campaign. Five events were held in the last quarter of 2016, with a social media campaign and website initiated at the end of the year. SEMCO and Michigan IPL have plans are to continue their partnership in 2017 and beyond to build on these initial efforts and provide a continuing resource of energy efficiency information, including tips, best practices, utility rebates, motivational stories and DOE tools.
C&I Education Program Overview INCENTIVE SPENT
LIFETIME CCF ACHIEVED
2016 LIFETIME CCF GOAL
% OF SAVINGS GOAL ACHIEVED
$38,399
73,076
73,075
100%
The 2016 SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company Commercial & Industrial Pilot program was the Technology Demonstration program designed to quantify energy savings of a specific emerging technology for evaluation and possible introduction into the core SEMCO program. The technology chosen for 2016 was a packaged rooftop unit heat recovery. This technology for packaged rooftop units regains heat from the AC unit to preheat domestic hot water. Targeted outreach focused on customers who have a significant cooling and hot water demand. These customers included restaurants, laundromats, truck stops, health clubs and residential care facilities. Although the first installed location showed very positive results, only four locations were installed in SEMCO’s service territory in 2016 due to some challenges, including:
Data collection for this technology initiated in the third quarter and is scheduled to continue through summer 2017. In addition, SEMCO plans to continue installing and demonstrating this technology in 2017 program year.
SPECIAL PILOT: COMBINED HEAT & POWER In addition, the statutory pilot funds, SEMCO invested carryover monies into a special pilot, Combined Heat & Power (CHP). In this pilot, customers with potential and interest in a combined heat and power system received a feasibility study. In all, there were five participants. Based on the results of the study (scheduled for early 2017), SEMCO will determine the next steps for the potential of a CHP Program.
§§ The atypical weather of 2016. The hottest summer on record taxed HVAC companies’ service crews. Companies could not actively sell replacement services because they were attending to a high volume of service calls. §§ The physical space requirement of the storage tank.
Commercial and Industrial Pilot Overview NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
INCENTIVE SPENT
LIFETIME CCF ACHIEVED
2016 LIFETIME CCF GOAL
% OF SAVINGS GOAL ACHIEVED
4
$40,000
761,240
1,217,913
62.5%
23
24
MARKETING Marketing focused on maintaining our increased presence in the retail arena while introducing new customer outreach methods. Throughout the year, to maximize efficiency, SEMCO utilized existing materials, including its comprehensive residential overview brochure. The parallel-fold 10-panel brochure offers SEMCO residential customers the opportunity to identify rebates and savings opportunities for their entire home in a one-stopshopping approach. This concept was originally developed in 2015 and retooled for 2016 program offerings. Other program-specific highlights include:
OTHER PROGRAM SPECIFIC HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: §§ Home Performance: A greater emphasis was placed on the development of trade ally relationships and program participation. Regular communication, expanded co-branding opportunities and additional outreach through the Market Outreach Specialist team all added to the development efforts. §§ ENERGY STAR®: The introduction of social media advertising through Facebook and Instagram, in collaboration with Efficiency UNITED, brought products and rebates to a new audience base. These avenues were incorporated for advertisement of Day of Energy Savings events held throughout the SEMCO territory. These ads not only increased attendance and participation in the program but also significantly increased the awareness of Efficiency UNITED and SEMCO’s online presence. The Efficiency UNITED Facebook followers more than tripled to nearly 400, and the social media interactions continue to reach an average of approximately 35,000 people weekly. §§ Residential Education: Program marketing pieces went home with each of the 3,766 direct
25 install Take Action kits delivered through the Think! Energy program and the Community In Action program encouraging parents to make simple, low to no-cost efficiency improvements throughout their home and introducing them to the the available rebates for 2016. §§ Commercial & Industrial Education: The 2016 C&I Energy Conferences experienced tremendous growth with the continued support of energy providers throughout Michigan. SEMCO’s collaboration with Consumers Energy, DTE Energy, Efficiency UNITED and Energy Optimization allowed for the inclusion of customers throughout Michigan, furthering energy efficiency education and outreach. Both conferences continue to grow annually. In 2016 a combined total of nearly 400 customers, trade allies, utility representatives and vendors collaborated on energy efficiency in Battle Creek and Harris, Michigan. The Efficiency UNITED website continued to be a primary focus on all marketing materials across all programs. In total 32,869 users visited the Efficiency UNITED website, representing a total of 191,770 page views. Of total page views, more than 11 percent were customers visiting the SEMCO page, and 10.7 percent of visitors were new visitors. These statistics show once again that the program continues to reach new customers while providing a service customers deem valuable enough to return for additional opportunities.
Visually creating SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company’s collaborative status with Efficiency UNITED required separate, but similar, marketing materials. When possible, SEMCO-specific materials are used to promote the program offerings; in instances utility service overlap is likely, Efficiency UNITED materials are used which include the SEMCO logo in the logo band. Collateral Material
Residential Programs and Rebates ENERGY STAR PROGRAM
APPLIANCE RECYCLING PROGRAM
Our ENERGY STAR Program offers rebates for high-efficiency appliances, discount pricing on lighting products at participating retailers and hosts energy saving events to help your customers consume less energy to save more money. New in 2015: Customers can purchase reducedcost ENERGY STAR LED lighting products at efficiencyunited.com/shop. REBATES ELECTRIC APPLIANCE
REQUIREMENT
INDIANA MICHIGAN POWER
(ELECTRIC UTILITIES)
Clothes Dryer
Moisture sensor
$50
$50
Clothes Washer*
ENERGY STAR rating
$25
$50
Dehumidifier
ENERGY STAR rating
$25
$25
Dishwasher*
ENERGY STAR rating
$50
$50
Room A/C
ENERGY STAR rating
$10
$25
Television
ENERGY STAR rating, 41” or greater
$25
$50
Ceiling Fan
ENERGY STAR rating, lighting fixture
$10
$10
EFFICIENCY UNITED
When your customer participates in Efficiency UNITED’s Appliance Recycling Program, we do the heavy lifting. Efficiency UNITED will pick up and recycle secondary, working refrigerators and/or freezers at no cost and deliver a rebate in its place. We will pick up room a/c units and dehumidifiers when we pick up a secondary working refrigerator or freezer, or be on the lookout for one of our many appliance recycling events!
rebate 50 refrigerator A/C $ rebate 15 room
$
14,898
Unique Views
The no-cost Energy Efficiency Assistance Program provides energy-efficient products and installation services to income-qualified residential customers. Services include insulation, high efficiency heating systems, LED lighting and ENERGY STAR® appliances to help reduce energy use while improving overall comfort. Participants must meet the household income levels established below, which are based on federal income guidelines (at or below 200 percent of poverty level)*.
Get Started Today! To learn more about the energy saving programs and rebates available to Michigan residential customers call 877.367.3191, visit efficiencyunited.com, or email
[email protected].
≤ $23,340 ≤ $31,460 ≤ $39,580 ≤ $47,700 ≤ $55,820 ≤ $63,940
REBATES NATURAL GAS APPLIANCE
REQUIREMENT
SEMCO ENERGY GAS COMPANY
(GAS UTILITIES)
Clothes Dryer
Moisture sensor
$45
$40
Clothes Washer*
ENERGY STAR rating
$30
$30
Dishwasher*
ENERGY STAR rating
$50
$40
≤ $72,060
EFFICIENCY UNITED
≤ $80,180 *Add $8,120 for each additional household member.
*Primary heating system must be natural gas.
efficiencyunited.com
EFFICIENCY UNITED REBATES (NATURAL GAS UTILITIES)
HOME PERFORMANCE PROGRAM
The Home Performance Program improves a home’s energy efficiency and comfort by providing rebates on upgrades to heating and cooling systems to help your customers save money. Rebates are available for HVAC equipment, water heating equipment, air and duct sealing and insulation.
EFFICIENCY UNITED REBATES (ELECTRIC UTILITIES)
INSTALLED MEASURE
EXISTING MEASURE REQ.
INSTALLED MEASURE REQ.
REBATE
Natural Gas Boiler
Replace natural gas heating system
90+ AFUE boiler
$1,000
Natural Gas Furnace
Replace natural gas heating system
95 AFUE furnace
$300
96+ AFUE furnace
$400
Programmable Thermostat
Replace nonprogrammable thermostat
Installed by contractor
$30
Installed by customer
$15
Natural Gas Water Heater
TRAFFIC
SEMCO pageviews
rebate 50 freezer $ rebate 15 dehumidifier
$
*Primary water heating system must be electric.
Boiler Reset Control
21,802
ENERGY EFFICIENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
-
-
$100
-
0.67+ EF water heater
$40
INSTALLED MEASURE
Central Air Conditioner (CAC)
Replace existing ≥ 14 SEER CAC
15+ SEER CAC
Minisplit Heat Pump (MSHP)
Replace existing ≥ 14 SEER ASHP or electric resistance heat
21+ SEER MSHP
Replace electric water heater
0.80+ EF or ≥ 90% TE water heater
$100
Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH)
0.82+ EF water heater
$200
Air Sealing*
Air Sealing
-
≥ 20% change
$150
Duct Sealing*
Duct Sealing
-
≥ 15% change
$75
Pool Pump
Window
-
≤ 0.3 U-factor or SHGC rating
$70
Electric Water Heater
MUST INSULATE
REBATE
Attic
Must add at least R-19, final R-value must be ≥ R-49
500 ft2 minimum
$300
Attic Hatch, Pull-down Stairs or Scuttle
Entire hatch and weatherstrip opening perimeter
INSTALLED INSULATION MEASURE
Final R-value must be ≥ R-38
$20
Attic*
Basement Wall
Must add at least R-10
250 ft2 minimum
$250
Crawlspace Wall
Must add at least R-11
250 ft2 minimum
Kneewall
Must add at least R-19
100 ft minimum
Wall
Must add at least R-5
Rim Joist
Must add at least R-10 and use spray foam or air seal all joints with caulk (when using rigid foam board or fiberglass batts)
Primary heating system must be natural gas for all measures.
REBATE $150
$300
$1,500
$700
15 SEER CAC
$250
16 SEER CAC
$300
≥ 17 SEER CAC
$400 $1,500
2.0+ EF HPWH ≥ 15% change
-
≥ 15% change
Pool Pump
-
Variable or multispeed w/ auto controls
$200
-
Replace nonprogrammable tstat
$20
-
≤ 0.3 U-factor or SHGC rating
$70
Programmable Thermostat* Window*
$250
Attic Hatch, Pull-down Stairs* or Scuttle*
Final R-value must be ≥ R-38
Entire hatch and weatherstrip opening perimeter
$25
$100
Basement Wall*
Must add at least R-10
250 ft minimum
$250
100 lineal feet minimum or entire area, if smaller
$200
*Primary heating system must be electric.
≥ 17 SEER ASHP
-
$70
rigid foam board or fiberglass batts)
$600
Replace electric water heater
≤ 0.3 U-factor or SHGC rating
Must add at least R-10 and use spray foam or air seal all joints with caulk (when using
$500
16 SEER ASHP
Duct Sealing*
$35
$300
Rim Joist*
15 SEER ASHP
Air Sealing*
0.93+ EF electric water heater
2
$150
Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH)
Variable or multispeed w/ auto controls
REBATE
$300
Replace existing > 14 SEER CAC
REBATE
$75
≥ 15% change
-
500 ft2 minimum
$200
Central Air Conditioner (CAC)
-
$200
-
MUST INSULATE
500 ft2 minimum
Replace existing > 14 SEER ASHP or electric furnace
INSTALLED MEASURE REQ.
21+ SEER MSHP
$150
Must add at least R-19, final R-value must be ≥ R-49
100 lineal feet minimum or entire area, if smaller
Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP)
-
Replace existing > 14 SEER ASHP or electric resistance heat
$850
≥ 20% change
ADD TO EXISTING R-VALUE
EXISTING MEASURE REQ.
Electronically Commutated Motor (ECM)
INSTALLED INSULATION EQUIPMENT Attic*
ADD TO EXISTING R-VALUE Must add at least R-19, final R-value must be ≥ R-49
REBATE
90+ AFUE boiler
$1,000
Replace natural gas heating system
95 AFUE furnace
$300
96+ AFUE furnace
$450
Programmable Thermostat
Replace nonprogrammable thermostat
Installed by contractor
Boiler Reset Control Natural Gas Water Heater
Installed by customer
$30 $15
-
-
-
0.67+ EF water heater
$50
0.80+ EF or ≥ 90% TE water heater
$200
0.82+ EF water heater
$450
$100
Air Sealing
-
≥ 20% change
$150
$100
Duct Sealing
-
≥ 15% change
$100
$200
Window
-
≤ 0.3 U-factor or SHGC rating
$70
MUST INSULATE
REBATE
500 ft2 minimum
$400
Final R-value must be ≥ R-38
Entire hatch and weatherstrip opening perimeter
$25
Must add at least R-10
250 ft2 minimum
$500
Must add at least R-11
250 ft2 minimum
$300
Floor*
Must add at least R-11
100 ft2 minimum
$400
Wall*
Must add at least R-5
500 ft2 minimum
$1,000
100 lineal feet minimum or entire area, if smaller
INSTALLED MEASURE REQ.
Replace natural gas heating system
Natural Gas Furnace
$900
Crawlspace Wall*
rigid foam board or fiberglass batts)
EXISTING MEASURE REQ.
Natural Gas Boiler
-
Basement Wall*
Must add at least R-10 and use spray foam or air seal all joints with caulk (when using
INSTALLED MEASURE
Tankless Natural Gas Water Heater
Attic Hatch, Pull-down Stairs* or Scuttle*
Rim Joist*
877.367.3191
SEMCO ENERGY GAS COMPANY REBATES
Minisplit Heat Pump (MSHP)
2.0+ EF HPWH
-
INSTALLED EQUIPMENT
$350
-
Replace electric water heater
Window*
2
-
15+ SEER ASHP
-
ADD TO EXISTING R-VALUE
INSTALLED MEASURE REQ.
Replace existing ≥ 14 SEER ASHP or electric furnace
Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP)
Tankless Natural Gas Water Heater
INSTALLED INSULATION MEASURE
EXISTING MEASURE REQ.
Electronically Commutated Motor (ECM)
INDIANA MICHIGAN POWER REBATES
n
INSTALLED INSULATION MEASURE
ADD TO EXISTING R-VALUE
MUST INSULATE
REBATE
Attic
Must add at least R-19, final R-value must be ≥ R-49
500 ft2 minimum
$300
Attic Hatch, Pull-down Stairs or Scuttle
Final R-value must be ≥ R-38
Entire hatch and weatherstrip opening perimeter
$20
Basement Wall
Must add at least R-10
250 ft2 minimum
$250
Crawlspace Wall
Must add at least R-11
250 ft2 minimum
$250
Kneewall
Must add at least R-19
100 ft minimum
Wall
Must add at least R-5
Rim Joist
Must add at least R-10 and use spray foam or air seal all joints with caulk (when using rigid foam board or fiberglass batts)
2
$100
500 ft2 minimum
$300
100 lineal feet minimum or entire area, if smaller
$200
Primary heating system must be natural gas for all measures.
$100
*Primary heating system must be electric.
SAVINGS FOR A
STRONG MICHIGAN
QA/QC
26
C&I Postcard
Ring in the new rebates
Your business doesn’t have to wait to save.
Measure Inspection Results - Residential Programs
SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company continued its dedication to excellence through its quality check system. Through on-site verification or phone interviews with randomly selected participants, SEMCO regularly investigated customer satisfaction, confirmed rebate eligibility and assessed reported energy savings integrity.
5.1%
% OF REBATES INSPECTED
99.2%
Results were shared with program teams to assess areas of excellence and identify opportunities for improvement. Participation in the quality control process was voluntary; however, SEMCO achieved its five percent inspection target of approved projects annually across SEMCO and Efficiency UNITED service territories.
RIFA DE CALENTADOR DE AGUA
*Se aplican restricciones
PRESENTATION QUALITY
PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK - Residential Programs What prompted you to participate with this rebate program?
AHORROS PARA UN MICHIGAN FUERTE
Un Valor de $3,000
99.1%
As evident from the results below, SEMCO has proven 99.2 percent accuracy in energy savings claimed, and customers are overwhelmingly satisfied with the energy efficiency programs.
Raffle Poster
PARE AQUÍ PARA GANAR UN CALENTADOR DE AGUA SIN TANQUE
THERMS SAVINGS RESULTS
NEEDED NEW ITEM
SAVE MONEY
SAVE ENERGY
INCREASE YOUR HOME’S VALUE
REDUCE ENERGY WASTE
INCREASE YOUR HOME’S COMFORT
4.6%
52.3%
21.1%
5.5%
12.8%
2.3%
How did you hear about this SEMCO program? CONTRACTOR
INTERNET SEARCH
PHONE CALL
FRIEND/FAMILY
EMAIL
OTHER
76.2%
4.0%
3.4%
8.2%
2.7%
5.7%
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION METRIC
Q1 - 2016
Q2 - 2016
Q3 - 2016
Q4 - 2016
YTD - 2016
MEASURE QUANTITY RESULTS
95.5%
99.2%
100%
99.4%
98.6%
THERM SAVINGS RESULTS
97.9%
99.3%
100%
99.7%
99.2%
PRESENTATION QUALITY
100%
99%
100%
96.2%
99.1%
How likely are you to recommend this program to your family and friends? COMPLETELY LIKELY
SLIGHTLY LIKELY
NOT LIKELY
91.5%
1.3%
1.3%
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28
NOTES
GLOSSARY Financial Audit
Prime/Fiduciary Mgt.
The process of reviewing information in the contract year and ensuring its accuracy. This is usually performed by an independent third party.
The fee paid to the administrator for program operations, management and independent third party contracts.
Holdback
Re-Commissioning
The amount of money held back from the Implementation Contractor until goals have been achieved or exceeded.
A type of Commercial & Industrial program that focuses on updating/upgrading existing equipment and improving operating controls and practices.
Implementation
Reserved Percentage
The amount of dollars set aside in the budget, which are used toward the implementation and administration of the program(s). Examples of items included in Implementation are staffing expenses, program design expenses and systems support.
The percentage of completed applications that have been approved but not yet paid to client.
Incentive The amount of dollars set aside in the budget that are used towards the payment of incentives for the specific program(s). Examples of items included in incentive are rebate amounts paid to customers/members.
ccf (therm) The therm is a unit of heat energy equal to 100,000 British thermal units (BTU). It is approximately the energy equivalent of burning 100 cubic feet (often referred to as 1 ccf) of natural gas.
Participants The number of customers or members that have participated in the program.
Pipeline The amount of work that has arrived for processing but has not yet been entered into tracking system or paid to client.
Self-Directed A utility customer who chooses to implement their own energy savings program. The savings generated by self-directed programs count toward Efficiency United savings achieved.
Third Party Evaluation The process of reviewing the work done during the previous year and validating the information obtained throughout the year. This process is completed by an independent third party contractor.
Total Collection The total amount of funds that have been collected from the utility provider.
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